Roberto DaSilva facts for kids

Roberto DaSilva is an American politician. He is currently the first-ever Mayor of East Providence, Rhode Island. He belongs to the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, he was a State Representative. He served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 2009 to 2013.

Mr. DaSilva became the first Mayor of East Providence because of a vote in 2017. This vote changed how the city was run. Before, a city manager and a city council made decisions. The "Mayor" was just a title given to a council member, and it was mostly for show. Now, the Mayor is chosen by the people of East Providence. This Mayor is the main leader of the city government. This new system is like how other cities in Rhode Island, such as Providence, are run. Roberto DaSilva's family comes from the Azores.

Time in the Rhode Island Legislature

Roberto DaSilva was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 2008. He served there from 2009 to 2013. During his time as a representative, he worked on important issues.

Laws He Supported

Mr. DaSilva worked to make laws stronger to protect people from harm at home. He also helped close a loophole in laws about certain activities. He was a big supporter of having full-day kindergarten for young students. This means kids could spend the whole day learning at school.

Working for Change

During his time in the legislature, DaSilva often had different ideas from his own party's leaders. For example, he voted against some changes to retirement plans for state workers. These changes were supported by other important politicians. Some people thought his vote showed he was too close to worker unions.

Focus on Children and Families

Representative DaSilva was a strong supporter of making improvements to the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families. This department helps children and families in need.

Running for State Senate

In 2012, DaSilva decided not to run for the House of Representatives again. Instead, he ran for a State Senate seat. He ran against Senator Daniel Da Ponte. DaSilva lost this election by a very small number of votes.

Time Away from Politics

After the 2012 election, Roberto DaSilva took a break from politics for six years. During this time, he was very active in his community. He volunteered his time to help others. He also became a captain in the Pawtucket Police Department.

He also started the East Providence Youth Soccer Association. He was the first president of this group. This shows his dedication to helping young people in his community.

Election for Mayor in 2018

In August 2017, Roberto DaSilva announced he would run for Mayor of East Providence. His first campaign event happened the next month. In April 2018, the East Providence Democratic City Committee supported his campaign.

His opponent in the election was James Russo. Mr. Russo had worked as a city lawyer and for a former congressman.

In November 2018, Roberto DaSilva won the election. He received 52.2% of the votes. News reports said the election was friendly. Both candidates agreed on many important issues for the city. These included improving the waterfront, lowering taxes, and fixing roads.

Mayor of East Providence

Roberto DaSilva officially became Mayor on January 8, 2019.

Starting His Term

When he first became Mayor, DaSilva chose people for important city jobs. These included judges for the city's courts and lawyers for the city. The City Council had to approve these choices, and they did. One of his choices for City Solicitor was Michael Marcello, whom he knew from their time in the House of Representatives.

His Work as Mayor

In September 2019, Mayor DaSilva suggested his first city budget. A budget is a plan for how the city will spend its money. This budget included a small tax increase. This money would help pay for building a new high school in the city. He sent this budget plan to the East Providence City Council for them to review.

However, the City Council voted against the Mayor's budget. In October 2019, the City Council passed their own budget. Mayor DaSilva did not sign it, but it still became the official city budget. He said he did not support it because it cut money from human resources. It also did not increase a tax break for homeowners. He felt these cuts were not good for the city.

In November 2019, Mayor DaSilva created the Mayor's Council on Veterans' Affairs. This was his first official order as mayor. He said he wanted to bring together people who care about veterans. He also wanted to include groups that help veterans.

Public Safety Leaders

In March 2019, Mayor DaSilva chose William Nebus to be the city's new police chief. This happened after the previous chief retired. In November 2019, he also appointed Glenn Quick as the chief of the East Providence Fire Department.

Impostor on Social Media

In August 2019, Mayor DaSilva warned people about a fake Facebook profile. Someone was pretending to be him online. The fake profile asked his real friends to click on a link for free money. After someone told him about it, the Mayor told the public that it was not his account. Facebook later removed the fake profile.

Personal Life

Roberto DaSilva is married to Karina DaSilva. She is from the Dominican Republic. They have two sons named Donovan and Dorian. When he became Mayor of East Providence, he retired from his job as a Captain in the Pawtucket Police Department. He also started the East Providence Youth Soccer Association and was its first president.